EFF’s Cover Your Tracks tool says I'm not protected against tracking

[GerryL]

Ran the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s Cover Your Tracks tool after reading a "Wired" article (How to Be More Anonymous Online). 

I'm running Malwarebytes Premium 4.6.8 with all the protections enabled. Is anyone familiar with this tool and what am I supposed think of Malwarebytes features after that? Thanks.

Edited January 7 by AdvancedSetup
Corrected font issue

[David H. Lipman]

That's not what Malwarebytes Anti-Malware is about.

Browser tracking related artifacts does not relate to malware.

 

[GerryL]

Sorry David, guess I should have said Malwarebytes BrowserGuard. It came with my Malwarebytes for Windows.

Malwarebytes Browser Guard is a FREE product that provides industry-leading ad, scam and tracker blocking that other companies charge annual fees for.

Additionally, all of our Malwarebytes paid plans come with Browser Guard and include extra features for Windows devices.

[GerryL]

And can you move this topic to the BrowserGuard forum?

 

[David H. Lipman]

Thank you for that clarification.

I am not formally acquainted with the inner working of Browser Guard but  I believe EFF is focused on Browser Artifacts and not what Browser Guard is focused on and that is web sites and their tracking of site visitors.

Different Browsers will give different results from that test.

I got these results from Firefox.

I got the following from MS Edge.

** I'll move this thread to the MBG for Firefox sub-forum.

 

Edited January 7 by David H. Lipman
Edited for content, clarity, spelling and/or grammar

[Porthos]

My Firefox

[AdvancedSetup]

Hello @GerryL

Thank you for reporting this. The issue in my opinion is that the EFF is using a very specific site to determine if your blocker is working or not. That site unlikely in our database. I'll report this to our Browser Guard team and have them look into it further.

You can look through all the posts here in these forums and see where our Browser Guard is blocking.

The point the EFF is trying to make is that you should be running Content blocking and you should be using some type of cookie control.

I like the Cookie Auto Delete plugin myself. Google recently though has started down the road to a new mechanism and will eventually probably phase out cookies in their browser, but that's another discussion as many feel Google is doing that to monopolize on a new advertising model.

Delete Cookies Automatically

Cookie AutoDelete plugin
Chrome | Firefox 

 

For better privacy one should actually consider not using the Google Chrome browser. Firefox or Brave would be much better alternatives.

You can see the following link for items to help better protect your computer data and privacy. Realizing that it takes a very dedicated professional level of effort to attempt to be truly anonymous on the Internet that most people simply don't have time or energy to do so.

 

 

As I said though, I'll submit your results to the team for review and possible inclusion.

Thank you again.

 

[AdvancedSetup]

@GerryL After a bit more research it turns out I was right. The EFF is not accurately truly testing your browser. Only their own tool will block and show protection.

Please see the following post.

EFF Privacy Checker claims I am not blocking ads, not blocking invisible trackers
https://www.reddit.com/r/uBlockOrigin/comments/13ctov1/eff_privacy_checker_claims_i_am_not_blocking_ads/

 

On Microsoft Edge browser with NO content blocking extensions added. I edited the Windows hosts file and added the following two additions.

I then ran the EFF Cover Your Tracks test again and now I "supposedly" have STRONG Ad protection. Which is completely untrue.